Unforgettable
by TheAmbitiousWriter
Summary: Unable to give up his alchemy in exchange for Alphonse's body, Edward unwittingly sacrifices all of his friends' memories of him. Abandoned by the world and slowly fading from existence, his last attempt to say goodbye triggers an unexpected reaction from his brother, resulting in a renewed hope for the two. But why can't Winry remember him? EdWin, slight Royai.
1. I: Golden Tears

So I just want to say, no, I am not abandoning my other story in favour of this one. Honestly, this one is a whole lot better, since I actually had a plan in mind for it, unlike **Foretold**. So, this will be relatively short, only six chapters long, and be prepared for major tears. Don't worry, though, it has a happy ending! Also, there is some EdWin, but not too much more than what is canon. Enjoy!

Chapter I: Golden Tears

Alphonse Elric sat alone on a park bench, staring off into space as if trying to remember something. A small bird landed on his shoulder and he started, causing it to fly away again. That was strange. He hadn't seen a bird try to perch on him since he had been a suit of armour. He supposed that was one of the perks of that body, but all the same, he was glad to have his original body back.

"Hey, Al." Winry's voice cut into his thoughts. He smiled up at her tiredly. "Have you progressed much?"

"Yeah… Physically, at least." Al sighed. "But no matter how hard I try, everything that happened before the Promised Day is still fuzzy. I can remember some things, like being a suit of armour, and trying to bring back mom…"

"But you're still missing that one piece of the puzzle," finished Winry. "We all are. The other day, I was talking to Colonel Mustang, and I started teasing him a little, about Riza, and he whirled around, red as a tomato, and said 'What would you know, Fullmetal?!' I was a little shocked, but when I asked him what he meant, he said it just slipped out… he wasn't sure, exactly… but all of us have moments like that. You're not the only one, Al."

"But you still have most of your memories! I feel like half of my life has been just cut out of my mind!" Alphonse hid his face in his hands.

Sympathetically, Winry sat down on the bench beside him and placed a hand on his back. Hearing someone approaching, she looked up. A boy of about seventeen looked back at her. He had long, golden hair pulled back into a braid and eyes of the same colour. Overall, he looked a little bit like Al.

"You dropped this," he said, holding out a screw. Winry took it and thanked him. As he turned to leave, an expression of immeasurable sorrow flashed across his features. But before the blond mechanic could say anything, he was gone, walking away with both hands shoved into his pockets, one footstep sounding subtly heavier than the other.

"Who was that?" asked Al.

"Not sure," Winry replied, "but I know I didn't drop any screws―" She cut off abruptly, gazing wide-eyed at the screw in her hand.

"What is it?"

"This― this is one of my screws!" She turned it over. "It's unmistakably made by the Resembool blacksmith… but I didn't even bring any of my parts with me to Central!"

"Then how did he get it?"

"I don't know." Winry leaned back against the wooden bench. "But something about that guy felt strange."

"Nevermind. C'mon, Winry. Let's get back to the hotel."

* * *

The golden-haired boy continued walking, going nowhere in particular. People and cars blurred around him as he he strode past. He kept his sun-coloured eyes downcast, and his hands shoved in the pockets of his crimson coat.

"Why wasn't it enough?" he whispered to himself. "Why couldn't I make it an equivalent exchange?"

 _Slam._

"Oh― I'm sorry!" The boy had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he had failed to pay attention to where he was going, and consequently walked right into another person. He looked up at the other's face, and his mouth fell open in surprise.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye―?" The boy clapped a hand over his mouth instantly.

"Huh? Who're you?" Riza asked suspiciously. "I don't believe we've met before."

The lieutenant blinked in shock when, without a word, the boy took off. She stared after him a moment, then shrugged and continued on.

The boy didn't stop running until he had gone so far that he no longer knew where he was. Reaching the crest of a hill, he stopped and looked out over the river spread before him.

"Who knew such a beautiful place existed here in Central?" he breathed. Slowly, he descended the far side of the hill and seated himself in the grass near the riverbank. "Al, you were always the one who disappeared down to the river… I guess now it's my turn."

Up above, the sun was beginning to sink behind the horizon. As its dying rays of light reached out and shattered upon the surface of the water, the sky turned an unusual shade of bright gold. Back at the hotel, Winry was commenting how much the sky's hue resembled that of Alphonse's hair and eyes. But there was one who resembled the sky that day even more closely, and yet he never saw the pure golden heavens; for his eyes were once again cast downward, and tears spilled down his cheeks and splashed in the river, reflecting the gold of the sky.

Just as the sun surrendered to night and fell into the shadows, the boy with golden hair and eyes finally lifted his face to the sky, and yet saw nothing, for his eyes were shut tight.

He screamed his sorrow to the fading golden sky that his eyes of the same hue had yet to glimpse.


	2. II: Steel Screws

Thanks to A **ttackoneverything** for reviewing! Yep, this will be a six-chapter story... because I can't write long fics for some reason. :( Now prepare for major feels! Oh yeah, I forgot the disclaimer. *ahem* I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist nor do am I planning to make a profit off of this. However, I did draw the cover art that I'm going to put up myself... as soon as I figure out how...

Chapter II: Steel Screws

" _I got your toll right here!" grinned Edward, pointing over his shoulder at the Gate. The white being in front of him grinned back malevolently._

" _You want to give up your Gate? Really? That's what you use to perform alchemy, you know."_

" _I know. Every human being has a Gate inside them, and therefore has the potential to perform alchemy."_

" _This Gate is what connects humans to the Truth." The entity's grin vanished. "You cannot just give it up."_

" _W-what?"_

" _I'm afraid, if you want your brother back, Mr. Alchemist, you're going to have to offer me something else."_

" _But I_ ― _I don't have anything else!"_

" _There is always something else, Mr. Alchemist." The Truth leaned in closer and smiled widely. It was not a nice smile. "In exchange for your brother, I will take…_ your existence."

 _Everything went black, and the only thing Edward could hear was the sound of his own screaming._

 _When he awoke, he was surprised to find his body still intact_ ― _all limbs still attached, except for his left leg of course. He clambered to his feet and tried to get his bearings. He was still in the wreckage of Central Command… Briggs soldiers flitted past him… and there, not ten metres away, was…_

" _Alphonse?" Edward whispered. He stumbled closer. His brother was back- he was alive_ ― _sure, he was skeletal and pale, and needed a haircut_ ― _but he was alive! In his own body! He looked to be unconscious, but he was definitely breathing._

 _Suddenly, a humongous figure stepped in front of him. Edward looked up to see Major Armstrong, a serious expression on his face._

" _Who are you?" he boomed. Ed's heart skipped a beat._

" _I-It's me, Major… it's Edward… you know who I am!"_

" _I'm sorry, but I've never seen you before."_

 _Gasping for breath, Edward turned and clutched his hands to his head. It couldn't be true! It… it couldn't be! There was no way this was possible… that the Truth's toll was…_

" _Who's there?" Ed turned to see Colonel Mustang, eyes tightly shut. "Is there someone there?"_

" _C-Colonel?"_

" _Fullmetal?" The Colonel frowned. "Wait… who's that...?"_

 _Overcome, Edward turned and ran._

* * *

Edward woke with a violent start, breathing heavily. He looked around for a moment, disoriented, then realised he'd fallen asleep in the grass by the river.

It had gotten late. The sky was pitch black, not a trace of gold left. In fact, it was the blackest sky Edward had ever seen. No stars twinkled, no moon silvered the landscape. Everything was hidden in darkness.

A traveller passing by, hurrying down the road as fast as he could (for he was later back than he had anticipated) heard a sharp sob sever the night air. He stopped and looked around, but of course saw nothing. About to keep on, the traveller paused suddenly. He sensed a very strange _chi_. Being an Alkahestrist from Xing, and visiting Amestris to see some of his distant relations, he had the ability to sense the _chi_ , or energy, of others through the Dragon's Pulse.

This particular _chi_ was so strange that it scared him. It felt _forgotten_. Almost as if the person this _chi_ belonged to no longer existed, and yet was still on the earth. As if they had no reason to exist.

The traveller hurried home, and tried to forget the strange _chi_.

Funny how difficult it is to forget the forgotten.

* * *

"Do you want some help?" offered Winry. Al was trying to climb the rather steep stairs that led to the train car. He was able to walk without crutches now, just a cane, but still had difficulty with stairs.

"No, that's okay. I got it." Alphonse began to ascend the steps without assistance. Winry took his suitcase and carried it with her hand flipped back over her shoulder. She looked on as Al made to the top and smirked triumphantly, before falling flat on his face.

"Al! Are you okay?" Winry ran over to help him up, but saw that he was laughing. She started giggling as well. "You looked so smug there… until you just face-planted…"

"Y-yeah…" Winry opened her eyes at the voice tinged with despondency.

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure… just a feeling…"

"What is it?"

"I felt it when you were carrying my suitcase for me… and again just now, something in in your laughter… It felt like I was looking at you, but seeing someone else."

"Who?"

"I…" The train's whistle blew, loud and shrill, and Winry hurried Al to their seats. Neither saw the golden-haired man slip out from behind the compartment door where he had been listening. Nor did they see the singular tear that slid down his cheek.

* * *

To Edward's dismay, the only seat left vacant was directly behind Winry and Al. He quickly seated himself and slid down as far as he could to avoid being seen.

"So anyway," Winry was saying, "The screw that guy gave me? It has the letters 'B. D.' on the top."

"So?"

"So, those are the initials of the Resembool blacksmith! He always puts them on everything because he's convinced his work is the best there is, remember?"

"And the point of this story is…?"

"I didn't bring any of my equipment with me to Central, yet that guy said I dropped a screw which happens to have been made by _my_ blacksmith…"

"You probably had it in your pocket or something and it just fell out. Stop worrying about it."

Edward groaned inwardly. So she _hadn't_ dropped that screw. It must have come off his automail… dammit…

"Anyway, if you're that curious, why don't you just ask him? He's sitting right behind you."

Edward's heart skipped a beat.

"What?!" Winry spun around and, failing to spot Ed, pulled herself up to see over the back of the seat. "It _is_ you! Are you following us?"

"No! I just happened to get on the same train as you, that's all!"

"Is that so? Where to?"

"Resembool."

"Why?"

"To get my automail fixed." It wasn't a total lie. Ed really did need his leg worked on after the Promised Day, but he knew it'd be a little difficult to get Winry to do it now, so he'd fixed it up as best he could using alchemy.

"Automail?" Winry's eyes narrowed. Edward stared back at her, unflinching. She blinked a couple times.

"EEEEEE!" Caught off-guard, Edward reeled in shock at Winry's excited squeal. "Which limb is it? Can I see, can I see? Oh please, let me see!"

"Wh-what?" Edward stammered. The mechanic grabbed Ed's right arm and pulled the glove off, discarding it when she saw the hand was flesh and blood, and leapt over the seat, snatching his left leg by the cuff of his pants. "Hey!"

"This automail is amazing! It's exactly how I would have done it! You gotta tell me who made this!" chirped Winry.

 _She doesn't recognise her own handiwork?_ thought Edward. "Uh, well you see, they aren't around anymore," he lied quickly.

"You mean they're dead?" Winry asked, her demeanour completely changing.

"...Yes."

"Oh. I'm sorry." She pulled the leg of his pants back down. "This automail is pretty beat up… You should probably find a new mechanic."

"That's why I'm heading to Resembool, actually. I heard there was an excellent automail engineer living there."

"Oh really? What else did you hear?"

"From that smug expression on your face, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you're her."

"Wow, nice one," laughed Alphonse. "Right on the money."

"So what do you think?" Edward addressed Winry. "Can you fix my leg?"

"Not a problem," she smiled. "For some reason, your automail is built almost exactly the same as how _I_ do it. It should be pretty easy."

"Right… Can I have my glove back, then?"

"Oh, whoops! For some reason, when you said 'automail' I guess I assumed you meant the arm… I don't know why." She handed the white glove back to him.

"Thanks, Winry!" The two continued talking and laughing. In the seat behind them, Alphonse watched cynically.

 _When did she tell him her name?_

 ** _NOW REVIEW! PLEASE!_**


	3. III: Silver Watches

Hello there! I'm back with more EPIC FEELS! Honestly, I have no idea how I can be so happy and then write something this sad! Bleh!

To **AiroctivElnyn** : Thank you! By the way, I love your new story, The Tale of the Brothers Elric. Just... fangirling so hard... I love your work...

To **Lacila** : Uwah... I'm blushing now! You're too kind! And Al will take a different approach... you shall see...

To both Guests: I don't know if you are the same person or two different people, but either way, thank you! I have this entire story written already, I'm just going back and editing it, and fixing the terrible parts... It'll be about six chapters, I think.

To **Attackoneverything** : Thanks! My friends call me TheEvilWriter because of all the feels I pour into my stories, lol. Your review was so huge that it took up almost the entire screen of my phone when I looked at it! I was so happy that I squealed out loud, and then everyone looked at me funny because I was in the middle of my French finals, but hey, that's what happens when you finish early! XD

Chapter III: Silver Watches

"Hey, Granny!" called Winry. "We're back!"

Pinako turned from the work she was doing on a prosthetic arm. "And it looks like you've brought a guest. Aren't you going to introduce me?"

"Oh, right. Granny Pinako, this is… uh…"

"Sheesh, girl, you invited him in and you didn't even ask his name?"

"I thought I knew it, I guess…"

Edward stepped forward. "I'm Edward… uh… Heidrich. Edward Heidrich."

"Edward…?" Alphonse whispered, too quietly to hear.

"Nice to meet you, Edward. I'm Pinako Rockbell."

"Right! Edward's here to have his automail looked at, since the engineer who made it is gone now."

"Really?" Pinako abandoned the project on the table and came up to Edward, managing to still look intimidating though she was so small that Ed had to look down to meet her gaze. She blew out a puff of smoke from her pipe. "Alright then, strip."

"Wh-what?"

"So I can get a good look. Stop looking like that, you can keep your underwear."

Edward didn't know why he was so self-conscious. It wasn't like he hadn't done this before… but perhaps it was because to them, he was a complete stranger. Everything was different now, ever since that day. Not only had everyone around him changed, but Edward had changed too. Unfortunately, he seemed to be going down a different path than everyone else, and there was no way to turn around now. He was pretty sure he knew what lay at the end of his path, too…

 _Ba-dump._ Ed had just sat down on the couch to get his leg looked at when it started. He paled. No way… not now…

 _Ba-dump._ "Excuse me for a second…" He got to his feet shakily, stumbling out of the room as fast as he could. The others' voices became distant, far away.

 _Ba-dump._

 _Hey, Edward? What's wrong?_

 _Ba-dump._

 _Is everything alright?_

 _Ba-dump._

 _Edward!_

 _Ba-dump._

He threw open the nearest door he could find― the bathroom― and closed it hurriedly, hearing the lock click. Ed slid to the floor, his back against the door, and closed his eyes.

 _Ba-dump._

Shaking, he slowly opened his golden eyes again, lifting his right hand in front of his face. It pulsed and for a split-second, became transparent.

Edward curled into himself, clutching his hand to his chest. This was where his path was leading him. Someone whom the world did not acknowledge could not exist for long.

Soon, he was going to disappear.

* * *

"I get the strangest feeling around him, Winry," Alphonse said urgently. "I'm just not sure we can trust him…" He cast his dark golden gaze downward. "But for some reason, it hurts me to even say that."

Winry stared at him for a long time without saying anything. When she did speak, her words surprised him. "He looks like you, you know."

"What?"

"You two could be brothers. You have the same hair and eyes."

"Yeah, but the similarities end there." Al stood up slowly, his short bangs hiding his eyes from view. "I'm going to bed. It's getting late."

"Al…!" The mechanic watched him go, wondering why, all of a sudden, she felt like crying.

* * *

Lying on a borrowed bed, staring up at the ceiling, someone else felt like crying as well. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an old photograph, slightly worn at the edges but otherwise well-kept. It depicted a young, brown-haired woman holding the young child that was Alphonse, and a tall, blond man with tears running down his cheeks, holding a three-year old Edward. The picture was good quality, however, Edward's three-year-old self was somewhat blurred. If one examined the photo closely, they could see that the boy was slowly fading from the picture.

 _It's your own fault._

"Please," Edward whispered to the dark ceiling, "I don't want to disappear… There's still so much I wanted to do!"

 _It's your own fault._

"I… I never wanted this to happen…"

 _It's your own fault._

"I know it is… I'm sorry, Al… Winry… Colonel… everyone…"

Outside the bedroom door, Al slid silently to the floor, staring straight ahead at nothing.

 _Who is this guy?_ he thought. _Why do I feel like I know him… and yet…_

Something was there.

A memory.

A tiny fragment of reality had slipped through the cracks.

 _How do you know you're not… a puppet… created by… your…_

Voices, fading in and out.

 _Have you been keeping that bottled up this entire time?!_

A flash of gold.

 _I'm definitely going to get your body back… Al…_

Alphonse inhaled sharply. What _was_ that? He didn't fully understand it… But from now on, he was going to be keeping a close eye on Edward. There was something about him that he didn't trust…

 _The heart wavers because it believes._

* * *

"Are you alright, sir?" Riza asked, concerned. Roy didn't know how she always knew. He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair.

"I'm fine. Just a headache."

"You seem to be having a lot of those lately."

"It's just some insomnia, that's all… bad dreams."

"We've all been having bad dreams since the Promised Day. Dreams we can't quite remember."

"That's the worst part," moaned Roy. "Every night, I wake up with more memory of the nightmare… I don't think I _want_ to remember it."

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier, sir?"

"I didn't think it was important. I didn't want to bother you."

"But sir, I'm here to be bothered. You can't just muddle through all your problems by yourself and hope for the best. You need to start trusting other _people._ "

"Like you?"

"I'm here for you, sir. Never forget that." Riza turned away. "I apologise if what I said was out of line, sir."

"That's quite alright, Lieutenant." Roy smiled. "For the record, you didn't tell me about your dreams either."

"Dreams, sir?" Riza closed her chocolate-brown eyes. "I'm not so sure about that."

Before the Colonel could inquire as to what she meant, Riza was gone, and the office was left silent and empty.

* * *

"Hmm…" muttered Winry. "Not only is your automail pretty beat up, it's also pretty small for you… When was this last adjusted?"

"Uh… I can't remember…"

"That long ago?" Winry looked up from her examination of the prosthetic. "I'm gonna have to take this off to re-adjust it. Do you mind using a spare for a little while?"

"Not at all." Edward waited while she got up to fetch the spare limb. It was much more simple than his regular automail, but it still functioned alright.

"Geez, the last time this thing was adjusted, you must have been a pipsqueak," teased Winry. Ed's eye twitched.

"Don't call me small!"

 _Whack._

"Ow!" hissed Edward, rubbing the back of his head. "What was that for?"

"Sorry… I'm not really sure why I did that…" The mechanic put down the wrench. "I'm not really sure why I do a lot of things, recently…"

"Mm." Edward stood up, testing the new prosthetic. "It feels a bit strange, but I'll make do."

"Alright, I should be finished re-adjusting this in four to five days. You're welcome to stay here until it's done, if you want."

"Thank you, Winry."

She gazed after him as he climbed the stairs, thinking hard. It had sounded like he was thanking her for more than just allowing him to stay there. But what it was, she couldn't be sure.

Winry turned back to her work on the automail, trying to take her mind off things. It certainly was a beautiful model. The engineer had built it exactly the way she would have! She barely even had to think about where she was making the adjustments. It felt like she was working with her own handiwork.

Carefully, Winry removed a screw from the knee joint. She was about to set it aside when something caught her eye.

B. D.

Her eyes widened. Those initials… There was no mistaking it! This screw had been made by Resembool's one and only blacksmith, who always initialed everything he made because he was convinced that he was the best blacksmith around.

What on earth was it doing in Edward's automail?!

* * *

Alphonse felt extremely guilty for doing this. He really hadn't wanted to… but the more time he spent around Edward, the more he got the strange feeling that he was missing something. He needed to know who this person _was_. But all the same, rifling through Ed's things probably wasn't the ideal way to go about it.

Opening Edward's suitcase, Al found a long, red coat with an odd symbol on the back. It looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He shoved some clothes out of the way, hoping to find an object of more interest. Al's hand closed around something smooth and metal. He pulled out a silver pocket watch.

 _He's a State Alchemist?!_ The two headed dragon stared up at him mockingly. _But… he can't be much older than I am!_ Rigidly, he tried to open the watch. It wouldn't budge. Using some quick alchemy, Al managed to get it open.

 _Never forget. October 3rd, year eleven._

"Forget what?" Alphonse murmured. An image flashed through his mind. A house burning, two figures silhouetted against the firelight. He blinked and it was gone.

Setting down the watch, Al began to rummage through the pockets of Edward's brown coat. They were mostly empty, except for an old photo. Alphonse was about to put it back when he suddenly realised he had seen this photograph before. It was the only picture ever taken with himself, his mom and his dad all together. But there was someone else in the picture too, someone he didn't remember being there before.

Hohenheim was holding a little boy, about three years old, with golden hair and eyes, just like Al. He was smiling at the camera like he hadn't a care in the world.

He looked just like Edward.

The strangest part was, the boy was slowly fading from the photograph. Al could see Hohenheim's torso through him, almost as if he were a ghost. Even as Alphonse stared, the boy grew fainter before his very eyes.

"What… what _is_ this…?" he whispered.

"Alphonse?" a voice said quietly. Al turned to see Edward standing in the doorway.

"Ah! E-Edward!"

"What are you doing?"

"I-I was just… uh, nothing!" Edward walked over and plucked the photograph out of Al's hands. His face went through several expressions very rapidly, then settled into a despondent half-smile.

"You went through my stuff?" He didn't sound angry. For some reason, that scared Al even more than if he'd shouted.

"Uh… I…" He swallowed. "Why didn't you tell me you were a State Alchemist?"

"I didn't think you needed to know." Edward's voice echoed hollowly.

"Why are you keeping so many secrets from me and Winry?! You… you talk so much, but you never tell us _anything!_ You never even told us who you _are!_ "

"Then tell me." Edward sat down on the bed, causing it to sag slightly under his weight. "Who do _you_ think I am?"

"Not who you say you are."

"Huh… that's true enough, I suppose."

"That picture… Explain." Al's gaze hardened.

"You see how I'm disappearing from it?"

"Yes."

"I made a deal I shouldn't have… All memories of my existence have been wiped from this world."

"Wh-what?!"

"Maybe I used to be someone, but not anymore… I don't exist anymore."

"Who… who _are_ you?!"

"My name is Edward Elric. I'm your brother, Al."

"H-huh…?"

"Or…" He sighed. "I used to be."

Blood pounded in Alphonse's ears. No… that couldn't be right… he was an only child… wasn't he?

"You're _lying!_ " he gasped. "I don't have a brother…"

 _Hey, Al!_

 _This is my little brother, Alphonse Elric…_

 _Give him back! He's my little brother, he's all I have left!_

A cacophony of voices shouted inside his skull. Alphonse pressed both hands to his head, trying to shut out the noise. "No! You're lying!"

"Al!" He could feel a pair of hands, trying to get him to sit back down. "Calm down… what's wrong…?" The voice blended into the swirl of deafening noise in Al's head.

"Stop it! I don't have a brother! You're wrong!" He sobbed. "It's not true, it isn't true! Make it stop!"

"Al?"

 _Al!_

"YOU'RE LYING!" Tears fell from his reddened eyes, but Alphonse didn't care. He just wanted these voices to _stop._ He wanted these memories to quit _hurting_ him.

"A-Alphonse…"

"I-it hurts… E-Ed…" Al could feel himself being hugged. He leaned into it, his entire body being wracked with sobs. "Th-there's too many m-memories…"

"It's okay, Al, I-"

"NO!" Blind with pain and rage, Alphonse lashed out. "It's _not_ okay! I don't know who you are, but YOU'RE NOT MY BROTHER!" Al felt his hand strike something. He heard someone cry out, and then there was a _thump_ as something heavy hit the floor.

Without stopping to think about what he'd done, Alphonse Elric stumbled out the door, and ran.

 **And then he came back and yelled, "Don't forget to revieeeeeew!" Just kidding! But seriously, please review.**


	4. IV: Platinum Memories

Hey guys, I'm back! Please don't kill me after this chapter, I know what it looks like but there's a happy ending, I swear! Okay, here goes...

To **Lacila** : Don't cry! I can't help being amazingly talented! *flips hair* Seriously though, you should have seen the first draft of this. It was rubbish.

To **AiroctivElnyn** : Yup. If he'd remembered right there, the story would have been a lot shorter... and far less angsty...

To **Attackoneverything** : I can imagine that the D and X keys on your keyboard are pretty well-worn... lol. Here is the next chapter!

Chapter IV: Platinum Memories

Winry was still working on Edward's automail when she saw Al sprint past her, his ragged breathing indicating that something had gone awry. She put down the screwdriver she was holding and called after him, but she received no response. Worried, she shouted for Edward, but he did not reply either.

The blond mechanic dashed up the stairs, taking the steps three at a time, and burst into the room Edward was currently occupying. Her breath hitched.

Edward was collapsed on the ground, unmoving, a trickle of blood running down his face. A photo was clasped tightly in his right hand.

"Ed… Edward!" Winry cried, shaking him by the shoulders. He groaned and put a hand to his head.

"Ow… that really hurt, Al…"

"Edward, it's me―" Winry cut off abruptly. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her eyes were locked on the hand that Edward was clutching his head with.

She could see right through it.

* * *

Al didn't stop running. He didn't even know where he was going, but that didn't faze him. He just had to get away.

He finally stopped when he was so out of breath he couldn't run anymore. Panting, Alphonse looked around. When he saw where he was, he froze.

Alphonse stood among the ruins of his old house.

He remembered it burning. He remembered watching it burn. What he couldn't quite piece together was _why._

 _There's no going back for us now, Al._

"Stop it!" he cried, holding his ears. "I don't want any memories!"

"Alphonse?" He turned around at the familiar voice.

"C-Colonel? What are you doing here? I-I thought you were in Central…"

"I came out to… see how you were doing." Alphonse looked up at the Colonel skeptically.

"That can't be the only reason."

"I asked him about it too, Alphonse," said Lieutenant Hawkeye, stepping out from behind Mustang. "He won't tell me why he came all the way out here, either."

"What are you doing all the way up here anyway, Alphonse? I thought you'd be at the Rockbell's."

"I… uh…" Al gulped. How could he possibly explain what had just taken place? He didn't even understand it himself!

While he was pondering what he ought to say, his hand brushed against something hard and smooth. Confused, he pulled it out of the ashes. It was a little figurine, well-crafted, the transmutation marks on it signifying that it had been made with alchemy.

 _Mom! Mom! Look what we made!_

 _Oh, boys! That's wonderful!_

 _I can still only do this one, though…_

"Al? What's happening?"

 _How are we going to live without her?_

 _We're not. We're going to bring her back._

"Are you alright? Alphonse!"

 _No! AL!_

 _BROTHER!_

He could hear concerned voices, as if from a great distance, just as everything went black and he fell into the firm grasp of a pair of arms clad in the blue of the Amestrian military uniform.

* * *

"EEK!" screeched Winry. "You're a… a… a ghost!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Winry," Edward chastised her, sitting up. "Ghosts don't exist."

"But your arm… I can see right through it!"

"Yes, and there's a long, complicated explanation behind that, but right now we need to find Al! He ran off somewhere, and in the state he's in, I don't know what will happen." Ed sighed. "I shouldn't have told him. I should have left well enough alone."

"Edward, what the hell are you talking about?!"

"I promise you, I'll explain everything later! Now let's go!" Without waiting for a response, he took off down the stairs.

 _It's best if I don't tell her,_ he decided. _I'm going to vanish anyway. I don't want to make her cry again… It's better if I just fade away with her none the wiser. At least I won't hurt anyone that way._

"EDWARD!"

Surprised, he lost his footing on the spare prosthetic he wasn't used to and tumbled to the ground.

"You shouldn't go so fast, you might… Oh," panted Winry, coming around the corner. "I was going to say, 'you might trip'…"

"Thanks for the warning," muttered Edward into the floorboards. He clambered to his feet and continued running, if a little more slowly than before.

"But wait… Edward, we don't even know where he _is_."

"There're only two places he could be: Down by the river, or or up on the hill by the ruins of the house."

"How do you―"

"There's no time, Winry. You check the river, I'll take the hill." Without waiting for a response, Ed took off to the right. Winry sighed and went left.

"Al! Al?" Edward called. As he reached the crest of the hill, he heard the click of a gun being cocked. He skidded to a halt.

"Lieutenant?" He mentally berated himself for letting it slip out. Riza narrowed her eyes.

"Have we met?" Her suspicious tone made Ed gulp in sudden fear. He did not want to get on the bad side of the Hawk's Eye. "No… hold on… You were in Central a few days ago. You bumped into me, started to apologise and then ran off…"

"Please, have you seen Alphonse anywhere?"

"You know him?"

"He's my… friend. Just a friend." Riza frowned at him, but did not comment.

"He's on the other side of the hill with the Colonel. He fainted not five minutes ago."

"What?" Edward bolted past the Lieutenant, who made no motion to stop him. As the charred remains of the old house came into view, he spotted two figures leaning against the burned tree. "Al!"

The Colonel was supporting the limp form of his brother, but he looked up at Ed's approach. "Who are you?"

"I'm his friend! Let me help!"

 _Ba-dump._

The blood drained from Edward's face. _Not again. Not now._ It felt worse this time.

"Tell me who you are first!"

 _Ba-dump._

"Dammit! I'm running out of time!"

 _Ba-dump._

Edward fell to his knees, breathing heavily. His whole body was pulsing, fading in and out of existence.

 _Ba-dump._

"What… the hell?" Roy murmured.

"Edward!" someone screamed. He looked up to see Al, tears streaming down his face. "I-I remember, Brother! I remember everything!"

 _Ba-dump._

"You― you do?"

"It all came back suddenly… Brother, what's happening?!" Alphonse suddenly grabbed his brother and pulled him into a hug. "I don't want you to vanish!"

 _Ba-dump._

"I'm so sorry, Al…" whispered Edward. Something warm splashed onto his hand and he realised he was crying. He could feel himself being pulled away, no matter how hard he tried to fight it.

 _Ba-dump._

"Fullmetal!" Roy yelled all of a sudden. "I… I remember you!"

"Edward… How could we forget _Edward?_ " Riza gasped.

"E-ED!"

Winry's voice.

Winry.

Oh, _Winry._

 _Ba-dump._

Why did you have to remember me at a time like this?

"YOU IDIOT! YOU CAN'T GO DISAPPEARING WHEN I'VE ONLY JUST REMEMBERED YOU!"

A warm embrace. More tears fell on his face, but this time they weren't his.

"W-Winry…"

"Don't vanish, Ed. I… _I love you._ "

"I love you too."

 _Ba-dump._

Suddenly her lips were on his. Taken aback, Edward stared ahead at nothing, golden eyes wide. Then he closed them and wrapped his arms around her, and they were both crying as the sun painted the sky gold once again behind them.

Her hands found their way into his hair, and she marvelled at how soft it was. She wanted to pull him even closer to her. If only… If only this kiss could last forever.

They broke apart, neither really wanting to but both feeling the need to. Winry reached out her hand and stroked the side of his face, which grew fainter and fainter in the dying light.

 _Ba-dump._

"Please don't go," she breathed. "I don't want to say goodbye right after we met each other again."

"Then how about 'Hello, nice to meet you'?"

"But we've already met."

"You're supposed to say, 'Nice to meet you too,'" Edward smiled, but there was no laughter in his eyes.

 _Ba-dump._

"N-nice to meet you too," Winry sobbed, and threw her arms around him again. Seeking comfort, she leaned in for another kiss, but her lips met empty air. She opened terrified blue eyes. "E-Ed?"

No answer.

No sound.

No light as the day had surrendered to darkness.

No golden sun to illuminate the world.

"EDWARD!"

No Ed.

No Fullmetal.

No Edward.

Not anymore.

 **OH NOES! IS THIS THE END?... Nope. Don't worry, this story will have a happy ending! Just two more chapters after this, though, and that's it. Until next time!**


	5. V: Iron Masterpieces (and limericks)

Heh heh. Sorry about that last cliffhanger. Well, not really. XD Just kidding, I'm not at bad person. I considered waiting longer to post the update, but... I'm not that mean. So here ya go! Enjoy!

To **Lacila** : I'm sorry! I just can't help myself... These cliffhangers just seem to happen.. Though I admit, this was one of my worst ones yet!

To **Attackoneverything** : No! Don't let your keys die! THEY HAVE SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR!... I'm so dramatic.

To **Mel Mad** : Yay! Glad I could surprise you!

To **ImpossibleJedi4** : I know... Could've written more but... I'm evil.

Chapter V: Iron Masterpieces (and limericks?)

 _Light..._

 _Dark..._

Edward couldn't see anything at all.

 _Gold..._

 _Silver..._

Was he still alive? Was he dead?

 _Flying..._

He couldn't feel anything either, save for a strange sensation of not standing on anything. He knew he'd felt this somewhere before…

 _Falling_.

His eyes snapped open and he jerked up into a sitting position, leaning back on his hands for support. All he could see was white. It stretched out infinitely in all directions.

He knew this place.

"Hello again, Mister Alchemist."

Letting out a startled breath, Edward turned to face the voice he knew and loathed.

"Truth."

"Oh, I'm so glad you remembered!" The being flung its arms up in exaggerated excitement. "No one seems to be able to _remember_ my names anymore…" It grinned sadistically at him.

"Quit playing around! Why am I here? I didn't perform human transmutation, I… I thought I was… _dead._ "

"In exchange for your brother's body, I took all the memories of you from everyone who's ever known you." Truth leaned forward. "It's not an equivalent exchange anymore if they start coming back."

"H-huh?"

"So if they get their memories of you back, I have to take another toll, don't I?"

"And your toll was…" Edward gulped.

"That's right, Mister Alchemist. I took your entire body, mind, and soul." The entity stood. "Do you like limericks?"

"Wh-what?"

"Well, _I_ like limericks. And you'd better like limericks, because you're going to be stuck here with me for eternity or until someone _else_ sacrifices something to bring you back. So, have you heard 'There once was a girl from Aerugo…'"

"SOMEONE GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

Honestly, the limerick thing had caught him off-guard. Who would've guessed that God had an odd love for short, humorous poetry?

Ugh… don't talk about short…

Edward leaned forward against the Gate and tried to imagine who was on the other side. But the only face he could see was Winry's, her beautiful blue eyes red with tears, the sunset turning her hair as gold as his as they kissed and cried.

* * *

One month. One month since Edward had disappeared. During that month, Roy had been working nonstop, searching for any sign of his subordinate. Part of him knew it was fruitless, but that didn't stop him from trying. On the military records, Ed was officially MIA, but chances were, if Roy had told Fuhrer Grumman what actually happened, he wouldn't have kept the case open to investigation.

As it was, everyone was still confused about how they could have forgotten the Fullmetal Alchemist, and then spontaneously remembered him some time later, only to find out he was missing. Some people _still_ didn't remember him, as Roy had discovered when he'd tried to explain the situation to Havoc (Who? Oh wait… a short guy? Agh… pretend I didn't say that…).

While Roy had been looking for Edward via the military, Alphonse had taken a different approach: alchemy. He was reading every alchemy book he could get his hands on, even if he'd already read it, and he'd even sent word to Ling and May to ask for some Xingese Alkahestry books.

But no matter how hard they tried, it wasn't enough.

Roy lowered his head to the desk, resting it on the paperwork he was meant to be filling out. He just… he felt so _guilty._ How could he have allowed himself to forget Edward? Never mind any memory-stealing alchemy gods, he should have done something! Clung to those memories and not let them go! The years he'd spent cleaning up after that reckless boy were… he'd never admit it, but… they had been some of the best years of his life.

Roy had been orphaned at a young age. Growing up in an orphanage was not easy, but with Roy's disposition, he'd soon had the other young boys falling into line. For a while, he'd felt confident. He would be out of here soon enough. He would rise to the top. Even then, his ambition was astounding.

But after a while, his confidence wavered. No-one seemed to want him. He watched, shocked, as all the boys he'd finally gotten to obey him were adopted, taken into a loving foster family- and he was left alone. Unwanted.

Until that day.

Chris Mustang was… well, how to describe her? She didn't exactly radiate 'loving foster mother'. Quite frankly, Roy was surprised to see someone like her in an orphanage in the first place, and without thinking, said so.

He was quite surprised to hear her laugh at his bluntness. "You've got some spirit there, kiddo," she wheezed. "What's your name?"

"It's Roy." He stared up at her defiantly.

"You Xingese?"

"I don't know. I don't remember."

"Tell ya what, Roy. You've got that spark in your eyes that I ain't seen in a long time 'round here. Soon as I fill out all the paperwork, you can come home with me."

"H-huh?" At the time Roy remembered, he'd been rather startled by the proposition. As much as he had wanted to be adopted, it all seemed so sudden. The next few hours passed in a blur and before he knew it, he was Roy Mustang, the adopted son of Chris Mustang.

He left her for a while to train with Master Hawkeye and learn the secrets of Flame Alchemy, but he had not been apprenticed for more than two years before the old man became ill and passed away, leaving Roy to try and look after his daughter. However, no matter how many years passed, Chris always said the spark in his eyes never went out.

That is, until Ishval.

When he came home from the war, the first thing he did was throw his arms around his foster mother and cry, really cry for the first time since his parents had died. It was absurd. He never cried. But he just couldn't rid his mind of the images of all those Ishvalans that had died… had been _killed_ by his own hand. He couldn't even look at his ignition gloves anymore without seeing them stained by the blood of countless lives.

When the tears finally subsided, Roy let go of Chris and sat down heavily. "I'm sorry."

"What for? For crying?" She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Roy Mustang, it is perfectly okay to cry! You can't just bottle up all those feelings inside of you! When I first met you, I said you had a spark in your eyes, remember?"

"There's no spark there anymore. I have the eyes of a murderer."

"There's a reason that spark never became a flame!"

"What?"

Chris sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Just remember, boy, that the water of tears ain't never gonna put out that spark of yours."

Eventually, Roy got past the horrors of Ishval. He rose through the ranks and became Colonel. But never did his foster mother tell him his spark had become a flame.

The years passed. Roy saw his foster mother less and less- and now only by the alias 'Madame Christmas'. It was better if he had no material to be used against him, and she knew that, too. It was all part of his plan to one day become Fuhrer.

One day, he visited Chris just to blow off steam. The day's events had gotten him more riled up than he'd care to admit, and he needed someone to vent to.

"I swear, Fullmetal is going to drive me insane!" he seethed. "This morning, he got Havoc and Breda involved a series of pranks― says it's for some spring holiday they have back east. I don't see what holiday would involve pranking people― but anyway, first he rigged a bucket of water onto the door of my office, and got me _soaking_ wet, and when I went to get my dry ignition gloves out of my desk, they were _glued_ to the inside of the drawer! And you will not believe what he said to Lieutenant Hawkeye about me― I will never forgive him for that―"

"Roy," interrupted his foster mother. "That spark in your eyes?" She smiled. "It's become a fire at last."

Roy couldn't deny it. Edward brought out the best in him, and hopefully, Roy did the same for Ed. No matter how often they clashed, each knew the other really did care for him. Roy could relate to the boy, since his own parents were gone as well. In fact, he did his best to be a sort of father figure for Ed and Al, since their real father had left when they were so young. And from the moment Roy met Edward, he saw in the young boy's eyes that fire that had taken so long to ignite in his own. He really did care for him, like his own son.

And that was why he would never stop searching.

Not ever.

"Sir?"

Roy realised he'd started to doze off and sat up in his chair, yawning. He blinked up sleepily at Lieutenant Hawkeye. "Yes?"

"Don't drool on important paperwork, please." Roy felt the corners of his mouth turn up. His faithful lieutenant never failed to cheer him up.

"Sorry. I just can't seem to focus anymore." She gazed at him unblinkingly, chocolate eyes suspicious.

"You haven't been sleeping."

"How did you…?"

"You ought to take a look in the mirror, Sir."

"It's nothing."

There was that look again. The look that told him if he didn't hurry up and tell her he'd be eating a bullet.

"Fine… It's the nightmares. They haven't stopped."

"You weren't this bad before."

"I never remembered them before."

"What are they about?"

"I… I dreamt I saw a huge gate, intricately patterned… It opened, and on the other side, for a split second, I thought I saw…" Roy put his face in his hands.

"Edward."

"Yes. His back was to me, but I'd know that atrocious coat and girly braid of his anywhere. It was him."

"You've been having this dream every night?"

"Yes, but the worst thing happened this morning."

"What?"

"I woke up thinking in limericks!"

" _What?_ "

* * *

Al opened his eyes. Everything was black. That was fine, it was supposed to be like that. He'd been here before, after all. He felt as though he were floating in empty space. That was fine, too. He just had to wait… and follow the familiar pull that was tugging at the back of his head.

Every night, he drew just a little closer. Every morning, he woke up with a feeling of renewed vigour, knowing that he was not far off now.

But this time, he wasn't even asleep.

He was meditating with May's help, reaching out for his brother's _chi_ through the Dragon's Pulse. He still remembered how excited he'd been when he'd realised that, although faintly, he could still sense his brother through the arts of Alkahestry.

"He's still out there!" he'd shouted. "I can sense him!"

"You can?" May had asked, startled. "I can't. Maybe it's because you're brothers, so your _chi_ are closer together."

Now, the two were meditating together, focussing solely on their thoughts of Edward. And through the darkness, Al could finally see the Gate.

As he got closer, he saw it open. On the other side was― Al gasped― and before he knew what happened, he was back with May, wide-eyed with shock.

"Alphonse? What happened?"

"I-I saw him," Al stammered. "I saw Brother… but I don't think he saw me."

"That makes sense." May sighed. "I don't think you can get through the Gate this way. You can draw close enough to see it, but it's alchemy, not Alkahestry, that can get you through it. I'm sorry, Alphonse."

"It's alright, May." He stood up, startling her. "One glimpse was all I needed. Brother… I'm coming."

The moment was ruined somewhat by the loud growl his stomach suddenly emitted.

May giggled. "I think you need some lunch."

"I don't understand… I just ate!" The thought lingered that perhaps the way he always seemed to be hungry was because he was not only sleeping and eating for himself, but for Brother, too. Just like Ed had done for him.

Well, if that were the case, he would eat like Ling until they were both full.

* * *

Winry was working almost obsessively on Edward's automail leg. The entire month he'd been gone, she had sent out for the best, strongest, lightest metal (not caring that it was expensive). She had told the blacksmith exactly how she wanted the parts and hovered over his shoulder as he worked, often snapping at him when he made the smallest deviation from her schematic. She had gotten all brand-new wires for the inside and she had reworked her design so many times that there was little left of the original.

So Pinako was surprised when she walked into the shop to announce that lunch was ready and found it empty. Winry never left her project alone.

"Winry?" she called. A few steps into the machine shop brought Winry's workspace into full view. Pinako gasped.

Perfection. That was the only way to describe it. It had the maximum amount of strength, endurance, and mobility, while still being simple and lightweight. Winry had created her masterpiece. The design… Pinako was speechless. She never thought she'd see it again…

" _Pinako."_

" _Yes, mother?"_

" _I've achieved perfection. This is the best automail I will ever create."_

" _It's amazing…"_

" _Pinako."_

" _Yes?"_

" _This is my last work. My masterpiece. I will never make any more automail, ever again."_

" _But why?"_

" _I have already made the best design I can. The best design it is possible for me to make. I can do no more. Pinako, you are to take over Rockbell Automail for me. Continue my work. Perhaps you, too, will create a masterpiece."_

 _Her mother strode out the door, taking her automail with her. Pinako never saw her again._

"Winry!" she called, becoming frantic now. "Winry!" When she received no answer, Pinako hobbled outside as fast as her old legs could carry her, calling for her granddaughter, the image of her own mother fresh and painful in her mind.

The old woman had at last made it to the train station when she glimpsed her granddaughter. "Winry!"

As she was about to ascend the stairs onto the train, Winry turned around. Pinako stared at the young mechanic, overcome with a sense of dread. The girl's blue eyes were flat, lifeless. The was no determination in them anymore. They were empty, defeated. Just like Pinako's mother.

"Winry, get back here!" Pinako shouted, trying to hide her fear. "Where are you going? You left your project behind!"

"What, that?" Winry laughed grimly. "That was just the first one. It wasn't as good as I wanted it, so I built a new one from scratch."

 _Wasn't as good as she wanted it?_ Pinako was stunned. The design was perfect. As good as her mother's own masterpiece. Unless…

"You're telling me you made something _better?!_ " Winry opened her mouth to answer but the train's whistle blew sharply, drowning out whatever she had to say. Instead, she turned those lifeless blue eyes back to the train and disappeared from Pinako's view, just like Winry's great-grandmother had done all those years ago.

 **Okay. So... limericks. I know. I felt like this story needed just a touch of random humour, and Truth is just the kind of character I could imagine having some wacky quirk like a love of limericks. So... don't judge. Review. This is the secret to happiness.**


	6. VI: Golden Tears Again

Hello everyone! Sorry this is late, my computer got a bug and had to go to the computer doctor. :( But I figured out how to post this from my phone, so here it is! The final chapter! I kept rewriting it, and I'm still not happy with it, but I think I did okay at least.

To... oh wait what? I can't find my beautiful reviews on this thing! NOOOO! Don't worry, as soon as I get Roy (my computer, named so because water makes him useless) back from the computer doctor, I will reply to all of your marvellous reviews! Here we go!

Chapter VI: Golden Tears Again

"The Philosopher's Stone. The Red Tincture, the Fifth Element. This legendary alchemical amplifier goes by many different names, though it is all the same object. Very little is known about the Philosopher's Stone other than that it is extremely powerful. There have been no recorded successful attempts to make one, {See Dr. Marcoh's notes} save for a possible involvement in the destruction of Xerxes."

Al closed the book with a sigh. This was no help at all, he'd already read through it a hundred times before, back when he and Ed had been looking for ways to get their bodies back. He'd added the footnote himself. But Alphonse knew that Ed would never commend the use of a Philosopher's Stone, not when it was made with human lives. Yet another dead end. He had been re-reading through all of his and his brother's alchemy textbooks, hoping to come across something he had missed, but all to no avail.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and standing in it was the last person he expected to see. "Winry? What are you doing here… I mean, I thought you were in Resembool?" The blond mechanic did not answer him, instead setting her suitcase carefully on the table and swinging the lid back. Al gasped. Inside was an automail leg, a better design than he'd ever seen. He was no mechanic, but he could see that this piece was the crowning glory of Winry's career. It was magnificent.

"Al." Winry said sombrely. "This is the last automail I'll ever make."

"Huh?! Wh-what do you mean?!"

"I want you to give it to Edward when you see him again, okay?"

"Winry, what are you talking about?!"

"Al, I want you to use my life in exchange for Edward's. Use me as the equivalent exchange."

"No! Winry, I-I can't do that!"

"Listen to me, Al! This automail is my masterpiece! It's the greatest thing I've ever made and it's the greatest thing I ever will make! There's nothing left for me to do now, since I've done all I can for Ed! Please, let me do this one last thing for him!"

"Winry! He would never forgive you or me if I let you do that!"

"You think I care about what that idiot says? He doesn't need me anymore!"

"Do you really believe that, Winry?"

They both froze, Al's words fading into the tension-filled air. Slowly, he took Winry's shaking hand, and pulled her into a hug. She started to sob, throwing her arms around him. Al said nothing for a while, just letting the sounds of sorrow enter his ears that had heard only silence for so long.

"Winry… Brother still needs you. Have you already forgotten what happened, on the day he vanished?"

"B-but there's no point… not if I can never see him again…" Winry choked out. "Al… what if we get him back… and he hates me?"

"Why would he hate you?"

"Because it took me so long to remember him!" Winry cried. "How could I have just forgotten him like that, Al? How… could I do that to him? I-I made him cry, Al, I know I did… I've never seen Ed cry like that…"

"It's not your fault, Winry. It wasn't you he was crying about. Brother hasn't cried in years because he didn't want to do it when it was impossible for me. When I got my body back… he probably felt like he could finally stop holding back those tears."

"A-Al…"

"Yes, Winry?"

"I love him. I-I love Edward."

"I know." Al stood, leaving Winry's embrace. "That's why I'm going to bring him back." He picked up the piece of chalk that lay on the table and cleared a space on the wood floor, drawing out the terrifyingly familiar circle.

"Al? Wh-what are you doing?"

"I'm bringing Brother back."

"Wait! No, Al, you can't! Please don't do what I think you're doing…"

"It's okay, Winry. You reminded me of something important just now."

"What?"

"If you're always crying about the past, you might sully your own future… because whatever you gave up in the past to get this future, can always be returned." Alphonse brought both hands together in a clap, flickering with blue alchemical lightning, and smiled at Winry.

"See you in a minute."

The circle flashed a brilliant blue, then an even brighter white. And then he was gone. Winry stared a few seconds at the empty circle and then wiped her tears away, a determined expression appearing on her face.

"Okay, Al."

Alphonse slowly opened his dark golden eyes, finding himself in a vast expanse of white. The Gate of Truth. He turned around to face the Gate, and the entity that would surely be there to confront him…

And froze.

"B-brother?" he whispered.

Ed looked even worse than he'd anticipated. He was slumped against the Gate, dull golden bangs overshadowing his eyes. His signature red coat was starting to look too big for him, what with all the weight he'd lost. Al was shocked that his brother could be reduced to this in only a month.

"Brother!" he cried, sprinting to Edward's side. "Brother, I'm here! It's me!" He embraced his brother's unmoving form, feeling tears beginning to prickle at the back of his eyes.

"A-Al…?" Edward's voice came as a weak moan. "Alphonse…"

"Brother!"

"Can't breathe… squishing me…" Al immediately let go of his brother.

"Brother… It's really you! I can hardly believe it's true…"

"NO! No rh-rhymes…" Ed shivered.

"Huh? Why?"

"Him… Him and his limericks… torturing me with bad humour for a month…"

"Who?"

Ed pointed behind him. Al whirled around to see the Truth, an unnerving smile on its empty white face.

"Hello, Mister Alchemist. Now, have you heard 'There once was an old man from Creta…?'"

"Truth? What's with the limericks?"

"I found out humans have those, and they're so much fun! Don't you think so?"

"Uh… sure…" Al sweatdropped.

"Now, you're here because you want your brother back, aren't you?" grinned Truth.

"Yes."

"Hmm, it will be interesting to see what you give up!" smirked the being.

"No! Al. don't you dare!" shouted Edward. "I won't let you sacrifice yourself for me…"

"Don't worry, Brother. I won't." Alphonse smiled at his brother, revelling in the fact that he could now do this.

"Now, now, you know the cost of arrogance, Mister Alchemist," Truth chastised, but it looked uncertain.

"Brother, what did we gain in the first place when we lost everything?" questioned Al.

"Uh… I'm… not sure…"

"We gained the power to use alchemy without a circle. We gave up things we never meant to, in exchange for knowledge. Knowledge about human transmutation and about alchemy itself."

"Al… what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to give up the knowledge that I gained that day. My ability to use alchemy without a circle." He turned to the Truth. "After all, that's what I gained in exchange for giving up my body, right?"

Truth smiled more widely than Al had ever it do. It seemed genuinely happy.

"Congratulations, Mister Alchemist! You've figured it out… that all you need to do to regain what you've lost is give up what you gained in the beginning!" Al smiled as well, so widely it felt like his face was going to split in two. Even Edward, weary as he was, managed a tired-looking grin.

"Come on, Brother." Al helped his brother to his feet. "Winry's waiting for you."

Roy had fallen into a dreamless sleep for the first time in weeks, when the tranquility was shattered by the sound of a phone ringing, startling him awake. Sighing tiredly, he picked up the receiver.

"Central command, Colonel Mustang speaking―"

"Colonel! Get your butt over here!" Winry yelled through the phone line.

"Miss Rockbell? What are you―"

"Hurry!"

The line went dead.

Ten minutes later found the Colonel standing outside the small flat Alphonse had been staying in, afraid of what he might find upon entering. Finally, concern bested fear and he knocked firmly on the small, yet imposing door.

"Come in, it's not locked!" called Winry from somewhere inside. Roy pushed the door open carefully, and stepped inside, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. He spotted Winry, grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch, and there was Alphonse, sitting on the floor, in the middle of… Was that a human transmutation circle?!

Roy opened his mouth to say something but stopped short when he saw the limp form Alphonse was clinging to. He couldn't believe it. "Is that…?"

Winry threw the blanket over the boy and nodded. "It's really him. Al did it, Colonel."

Roy stood completely still for a few seconds. Onyx eyes wide, he stared in shock at his sleeping subordinate. "F-Fullmetal…" He heard the sound of his own voice, speaking as though someone else had control of his mouth. What he did next, he had no explanation for.

For the very first time since he had come back from Ishval, Roy Mustang cried.

And he was glad.

Edward woke up surrounded by familiar faces. Some were crying, some were smiling, some were laughing, one was smirking. And one was frowning at him and toting a wrench.

Smack.

"Oww! Winry!" he whined, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head. "Why?"

"Because you're an idiot! Making me and Al worry about you for an entire month? How could you?" Before he could say anything else, tears started to form in her expressionate sky-blue eyes. "You idiot!"

"H-hey, Winry, I―"

She didn't let him say anything else, halting his words by leaning forward and kissing him. Ed felt her warm tears against his face but he didn't care. This time, they were tears of pure joy.

He kissed her back.

"Finally found yourself a girlfriend, Fullmetal?" teased the Colonel. Ed broke off from the kiss to glare at him, but then his expression softened.

"Yup! And even before you confessed your love to Lieutenant Hawkeye!" he said playfully.

Roy went red as a tomato. "I― what― Why'd you bring that up?!"

"Don't let him fool you," laughed Winry, "when he found out you were back he was crying like a baby."

"I-I was not!"

"Were too!"

Edward smiled. "So I guess we're finally all back together again, huh?"

"Yup."

"You guys aren't going to forget me again?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ed," laughed Winry, eyes alight with joy. "You're unforgettable."

THE END

I hope you enjoyed! Yay, happy endings! If you liked it, be sure to leave a review, and I'll respond when I get my useless Flame Alchemist of a computer back!


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